Tricks of the Trade: 2 free iPhone apps

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In a recent Tricks of the Trade article in ACEP News, Dr. Eric Silman wrote about 5 iPhone apps which are useful tools in the Emergency Department. Here is an excerpt from his article, featuring two free apps:

Epocrates (v2.1 released January 2009)

The old standby, still free and still the king. Search or browse over 3,300 prescription and OTC meds, dosing, adverse effects, interactions, and pill photos. Frequent updates keep you in the loop on new meds and changing indications. Pill ID is useful in the ED specifically when managing an overdose, a suicide attempt, or when a patient brings in a daily pill organizer with unknown medications. The “Essentials” package adds peer-reviewed disease content developed in collaboration with the British Medical Journal, references for most major lab tests, and information on hundreds of herbal supplements. The free portion is more than sufficient for the average emergency physician’s day-to-day needs.

Eye Chart (Dok, LLC. v1.1 released October 2008)This application speaks for itself. This classic Snellen Eye chart is designed to be viewed at a distance of 4 feet, and looks sharp and bright on most iPhones. While not validated or perfect, this tool certainly is convenient in the ED where Snellen charts may be scarce or inconvenient. Coincidentally, 4 feet is beyond arms’ reach of 99.9% of grabby patients.